An Old Fight
by Kari Gilmore
Summary: Having no one to do nothing with, Pumbaa goes to Ma to learn what the colony's life was like before Timon was born and the battle with Shomari's colony.
1. Give a Beat

_Pumbaa:_ :walks into the room, coughs.: Dusty in here. :Uses his tail as a feather duster, dusts off the computer desk.:  
_Zuri:_ :pushes a cobweb out of the way.: What are we doing here anyway?  
_Timon:_ :jumps onto the desk, looking at some papers.: Kari said she was getting ready to write another fic. :Finds the fan art of him and Zuri.: Awww... :Pause.: My nose is NOT that big!

:The lights suddenly come on, surprising the trio. They scream.:

_Kari:_ :walks in.: Chill, guys. Just me.  
_Timon:_ Don't ever do that again! Humans... _oy!_  
_Kari:_ Yeah, missed you guys, too. :Looks at the desk.: Oy, it's amazing how dusty this can get while you're waiting for inspiration to hit.  
_Pumbaa:_ You were just here a week ago when you wrote that epilogue for the last fic.  
_Kari:_ Yeah, but cleaning around this house stirs up more dust. :Sits at the desk, cracks her knuckles.: OK! Let's see what magic I can work up:Turns to readers.: Hey, guys. I decided for this fic _(and probably only used in this fic)_, I'm giving Timon's mother a name. Normally, I don't like doing that to copyright characters, but kinda has to be done for this. I'm gonna call her Panya; other times, I'll just call her Ma. This may be a short story, too, compared to the other two. But we'll see. UPDATE: Removed _Hakuna Matata _and _Digga Tunnah_ lyrics.

An Old Fight  
By Kari Gilmore

Chapter 1:

Timon and Pumbaa were enjoying a good-old fashioned singalong as they walked along a familiar log. Timon was about to break into the chorus when he suddenly heard his name being called.

"Timon!" Timon grimaced and stood as Zuri came onto the log, holding her arms out to balance.

"You know how to ruin a good mood, don't you, Zuri?" Timon asked, leaning his weight on Pumbaa's snout.

Zuri stepped up next to Pumbaa. "I love singing as much as you do, Timon, but it's time."

Timon's eyes widen and he rushed over to her. "It's _time!_ Pumbaa, boil the family! Call some water! Err, I mean, boil some water and call the family!"

"No, Timon, not _that_ time. I've still got a few weeks to go," Zuri said, patting her swelled stomach.

Timon let out sigh of relief and a nervous smile. "I didn't think it was spring yet." He blinked, "Then what time _is_ it?"

Zuri grinned, got behind Timon, and started to push him away. "My brother Sudi asked us to baby-sit, remember?"

"_Baby-sit!_ Uh-oh, no way!"

"Was that implying you don't remember, or you don't wanna do it now?"

"Both, actually."

"Aw, c'mon, Timon. I'll be having the pups in just a few weeks. It'll be good practice." She grinned as she pushed him off the log. "Besides, Great Timon, you don't have a choice in the matter."

Timon landed and dusted himself off. "Crud. And I was having such a good day, too..." He turned back to Pumbaa. "Sorry, buddy, you're gonna have to entertain yourself for a few hours!" He helped Zuri down from the log and they walked away.

"Bye, Pumbaa!"

Pumbaa whimpered and sat down on the log. "It's so hard for Timon and I to spend any time together anymore. What am I gonna do to keep myself occupied until he gets back? Jina's off visiting family and--" He suddenly perked up. "Ohh, I know!" He got up and trotted in the opposite direction Timon and Zuri went.

Timon's mother was peeling the bark back on a tree, finding several grubs underneath. She grabbed a few and popped them into her mouth. She sniffed the air for a moment, then turned around to see Pumbaa approaching. "I _thought_ I smelled warthog," she said to herself.

"Afternoon, Mrs. Ma!" Pumbaa said as he sat down next to her. "Timon and Zuri are babysitting, and Jina's away visiting family, so I don't have anyone to do nothing with."

"So, why come to me?" Ma asked as she grabbed a few more grubs from the tree.

"Well, I was kinda, sorta hoping..." Pumbaa dug his hoof into the ground, "maybe you could tell me some more stories about Timon when he was younger?"

Ma grinned as she turned to face him. "I told you all the good ones already, from when Timon started digging tunnels to when he left the colony and met you."

"Oh." Pumbaa frowned as she turned back to grab a few more grubs, then he perked up again. "Then how about some stories about you and Mr. Buzz? Or when you first met Shomari's colony?"

Ma swallowed what was in her mouth, and coughed. She padded her throat and cleared it. "Well..."

"_Pleeeeeeease?_" Pumbaa knelt down to her level and gave her the big sad eyes. He then flashed a big cheesy smile.

"_Oy..._ with the face and the eyes..." Ma rubbed her paw over her face. "All right, all right. I'll think of a story to tell you."

"_Yay!_" Pumbaa plopped down in front of her.

"Now, let's see..." Ma rubbed her chin and paced in a circle, thinking. "All right, I thought of one. It takes place in autumn, about five months before Timon was born..."

_6 1/2 years ago...  
_  
A few meerkats carried a large branch towards their tunnel, singing in a very monotone expression. The song they sang lacked creative lyric as well as a beat. But it was something to keep them busy as they worked.

Two familiar-looking meerkats, each only a year old, were digging under some roots. One stood up and swallowed what was in his mouth. He ran a paw through his dark hair and sighed. "That's an annoying work song," he said.

"Well, no offense, Buzz, but what do you expect from a song that was written by your uncle Max?" the other asked, still head first in her hole.

"Guess you've got a point, Panya." He looked over at his friend Panya, who had just pulled a tuber out from underground. "And that's why it's taking so long make these tunnels."

"It's _really_ hard to settle into a new home when it's still under construction. Can't you talk to Max about changing the beat or something?"

"Like he'll listen!" a voice from behind them laughed. Buzz and Panya turned to see Pete walk up to them.

Buzz furrowed his brow at him, "What do you mean by _that,_ Pete?"

Pete held his paws up. "I was only implying he'll be going deaf soon enough. So he wouldn't _really_ be listening."

"He may be right. Max is already _tone_-deaf," Panya said with a grin.

Buzz laughed, "Yeah, maybe." He grinned and broke some twigs off a passing branch being carried by two meerkats. "But I'm gonna help this digging beat along. Watch this." He leaped onto a nearby hollow log and started to beat on it with the twigs, creating a hollow beating sound. Several meerkats popped out of their holes to see what the noise was.

"That's the _strangest_ alarm I've ever heard!" Uncle Max said, climbing out of his hole. The other meerkats followed Max over to the log, where Buzz was still banging on the log. "Buzz! What are you doing?"

"Just giving the digging beat a beat, Uncle Max!" Buzz replied.

"It's a beat, all right, but not much of a _digging_ one," Pete said, tapping his foot.

"That's because you're not digging!" Buzz's tail whacked the fungus growing on the log, creating a second beat. The other meerkats got caught in the rhythm, bobbing their heads and tapping their feet. They went back to their holes and started digging along with the beat.

"Eh, not bad, nephew. But you can't dig on a beat alone!" Uncle Max said.

"Huh?" Buzz blinked, not quite understanding.

"I think he means you have to sing!" Panya yelled up to him to be heard over the drumming.

"Oh..." Buzz thought a moment. He sang a lyric simular to the existing one, but it didn't match the lyric. He shook his head. "No, that won't work..." he mumbled to himself. He tried again, a little less successful than the first attempt.

"_Not_ helping!" Max shouted.

Buzz grimaced. He listened to the beat he was providing and then grinned. "OK, try _this_ one on for size!" He resumed the beat as he sang along.This time the lyric matched the beat, after changing the letting a bit. Soon the other meerkats got into the rhythm and sang along.A few came back up to the top to gather more branches and rocks. Panya, Pete, and Uncle Max went to work as well as Buzz supplied the beat and the lyrics. By the time the sun had set, the tunnel construction had proceeded greatly. Everyone was deciding which section of the tunnel they wanted to live in. Buzz decided he would sleep in the northern tunnels, as did Panya. Others chose from the other wings and settled for the night. Panya was carrying the tuber she had dug up earlier and tossed it into her nest. She stretched and yawned, and then climbed into her nest. She suddenly felt someone approaching, so she turned to see whom it was.

The meerkat leaned his weight against the wall of Panya's nest, looking her over. "I hope you're not planning on getting comfortable here, Panya."

Panya furrowed her brow at the visitor and started to straighten her nest out. "Why not?"

"You're a year old now. Tomorrow you'll be picking a husband and moving to his nest. And if one of the strong meerkats pick you to be his wife..."

Panya gulped, blushing a bit. "I highly doubt it, Shomari. Me, being among the few meerkats in this colony allowed to have pups?"

"It's been known to happen to meerkats less... _presentable_ than you," Shomari cleared his throat.

Panya growled, "Is there something you want, or did you just come to rub my fur the wrong way?"

Shomari looked at her a moment, and then he grinned. "Nah... I just wanted to see if what I heard was true."

"To see if _what's_ true?"

"I heard you were cute when you're angry. You're not, really." He frowned when Buzz stepped between the two of them.

"That's a matter of opinion. _Scram,_" Buzz softly growled. Shomari stared at him for a moment, then turned and walked away. Buzz exhaled and rubbed the back of his neck. "Creep." He turned to Panya, who bowed her head and merely nodded. Buzz looked at her, a bit concerned. "Are you OK, Panya?"

"I'm worried Shomari may be right. I'm afraid because of my appearance, I won't find a suitable... suitor."

Buzz put a paw on her shoulder. "Hey, don't listen to anything Shomari says. He's one of those guys who purposely make girls mad to have fun. _I_ happen to think you're cute when you're angry."

Panya looked up at him. "_Just_ when I'm angry, Buzz?"

Buzz gulped softly. "Well, I'd be lying if I said yes. But then I _have_ known you ever since we were pups." He stepped back. "Uh... guess I'll be going to my nest."

He started to walk away, but stopped when Panya said his name, "Buzz." He looked back at her, seeing a light blush in her cheeks. "Tomorrow night is the competition for mating rights..."

"Is it the new moon tomorrow night already?" Buzz asked, sounding a bit surprised.

"Yes, it is. If you don't mind my asking... do you have anyone in mind?"

Buzz looked taken aback by this question. He cleared his throat. "I haven't been eying too many females."

"I'm surprised. I mean, _look_ at you. You're the most likely meerkat I know who'll father pups. I would've thought you'd have someone in mind by now."

"I haven't thought that far ahead. What about you, Panya? I mean, if one of the three strong meerkats don't pick you and you have to settle for the weaker members, who would you pick?"

"Please. All the guys would rather be friends with me than be my husband."

Buzz grimaced, then he pouted his lips a moment. "You don't know that for sure. A lot of guys these days don't pick a girl on looks alone. There _is_ such a thing as personality."

"I guess... but I want to have pups. What if the three strong meerkats who get their first picks of the females don't pick me?"

Buzz was silent for a moment. "Well, you could leave this colony and try your luck at another."

"And be a rogue? I don't think I could do that."

"I wouldn't want you to do that either. I'd miss hanging out with you."

Panya smiled slightly. "Heh. Thanks, Buzz. Sorry I kept you. Good night."

"Good night, Panya." Buzz turned and walked away, leaving her alone to settle into her nest.

_To be continued..._


	2. Getting Ready

_Timon:_ ::as he reads Chapter 1, his eyes bug out.:: **_WHAT?!_** _Shomari was part of my colony?!_  
_Zuri:_ Oh, the _irony!_  
_Kari:_ Yeah, I'm surprised the readers haven't expressed their reactions. Oh well. I'll live. In the meantime, let's get started! ::Reaches for the bag of cookies she got from SunRise, but finds it's not there.:: Hey! Where are my cookies at?  
_Pumbaa:_ ::takes a bite out of a cookie, then coughs.:: Hey! There aren't any bugs in these!  
_Kari:_ ::grabs the other bag, opens, then looks at the creepy crawlies baked inside.:: Eww... I think we grabbed the wrong bags. Oh well. Read on, faithful readers!  
  
Chapter 2:  
  
_Still 6 1/2 years ago..._  
  
The following morning brought excitement to the young meerkats of the colony. Everyone was preparing for the night's event. The females were busying themselves gathering flowers and grooming while the males were practicing their fighting skills. Well... _most_ of the males were.  
  
"Hey, Buzz, aren't you going to toughen up?" Pete called up to Buzz, who was up in a tree picking berries.   
  
Buzz looked down at him, and then went back to picking. "We've got until sunset. What's the rush?"  
  
"Don't you want to father pups?"  
  
"Of course, but--"  
  
"There are only three meerkats who'll be given the right, and before that's decided, all the males have to fight with each other and eliminate the weaker ones until the final six are decided. Then through elimination of the three weaker meerkats, the stronger meerkats are given the right to mate and take their first pick of the females."  
  
Buzz bit into a berry as Pete told the story. He licked the juice off his lips and looked back down at Pete. "Why are you telling me that, Pete? I already know the rules."  
  
"Because you have to take this seriously. If you wait til the last minute, you'll get cramps." Pete then grinned. "Besides, you don't want _Shomari_ to get further up the ladder than you, do you?"  
  
Buzz coughed, padding his chest to work the berry he was swallowing down. He swallowed and panted when it made its way to his stomach. He looked down at Pete and growled, "Watch what you say while I'm eating!"  
  
"Well, it's true, Buzz-Boy. He'll be competing to mate, too. If you don't start practicing, he may be in the final three instead of you."  
  
"Oh, _really?_"  
  
"Yeah, so--" Pete looked up at him and yelped as Buzz dropped down onto him and started to wrestle with him.   
  
"So, mind if I start praticing on you, Pete?" Buzz asked as he put Pete in a headlock.  
  
"If it gets you to take this seriously, be my guest!" Pete growled as he pulled out of Buzz's grip and leaped onto him.  
  
_Meanwhile...  
_  
Panya was gathering flowers with another female. She was humming to herself and partaking in the smell of one. She smiled to herself.   
  
"So, who are you hoping for, Panya?" the female asked.  
  
"_Please._ I'm not even sure I'm going to be watching, let alone hope someone picks me," Panya scoffed.  
  
"How could you _not_ go? If you're not there, you won't get a husband."  
  
"It would save me some humiliation being the last one picked," Panya said as she continued picking flowers.  
  
"What makes you think you'll be the last one picked?"  
  
"Hasina, if you were male, would _you_ pick me?"  
  
Hasina put a paw on her hip, then rubbed her chin, looking Panya over. "Well... I would if I was one of the stronger males."  
  
Panya blinked, surprised. "Really?"  
  
"You do have the pup-bearing hips."  
  
Panya blushed, then growled, "_Hasina!_ Do you have to be so blunt?"  
  
"It's not _my_ fault your favorite grubs are the big, fat ones." Hasina's shoulders sunk when she noticed Panya's saddened expression. "Aww, c'mon, Panya. I've never been a male. I don't know what they like!"  
  
"We know enough that they like pretty faces and curves," Panya said, making curve motions in the air.  
  
"OK, yeah, but you have a pretty face. Really. And you've got a great personality. You'll get a great guy."  
  
"I'm still not going, Hasina."  
  
"You'll be missing history for our generation!"  
  
"So?"  
  
Hasina grinned and leaned closer to Panya. "You'd be missing Buzz fighting for the right to mate. And I _know_ you secretly like him."  
  
Panya blushed. "I do not."  
  
"Then why are you blushing?"  
  
Panya sighed, "All right, all right... I'll go, but as soon Buzz is finished trying to show he's top meerkat, I'm leaving."  
  
"Great." Hasina took Panya by the arm and started to pull her away. "OK, that's enough flowers."  
  
"What are you doing now?"  
  
"Well, if we're going to be seen by every male in the colony, we have to look good! I want you to do something with my hair. You're good at that."  
  
"OK, but I don't work cheap."  
  
_To be continued..._


	3. Competition

Hey! Sorry for the lateness in putting another chapter up. I wasn't sure how I was gonna do this one. But it's finally up and looks pretty good. Enjoy!  
  
Chapter 3:  
  
_STILL 6 1/2 years ago...  
_  
"_Yah!_" Pete was pinned down by Buzz, probably the third time in the last hour. He looked up at Buzz, who suddenly yawned. "I'm sorry, Buzz. Is my losing to you starting to _bore_ you?" Pete asked with a glare.  
  
"Honestly? Yeah," Buzz replied as he jumped back onto his feet. He leaned backwards, a loud crick being heard. "_Ooh,_ good one." He stretched out, and then helped Pete back to his feet. "Were you just letting me win all those times?"  
  
Pete clicked his tongue, "No, I just really wanted you to take this seriously."  
  
Buzz put an arm around Pete's shoulders as they walked towards the tunnels. "You worry too much, Pete."  
  
"And you worry too little. If you want the right to mate, you gotta take this seriously. Plenty of us males will be scrambling for the top three, you know."  
  
"Hey, I did your little wrestling match. I'm pumped; I can handle this."  
  
"Who are you hoping for?"  
  
"Personally, I'd like to face up to Shomari. The way he's been acting up lately--"  
  
"No, no, no, not who do you want to fight against. I meant who are you going to pick for your wife and possible potential mate?"  
  
"Well..."  
  
"Whoever it is, use her as motivation. Make it to the top three, give her a flower, and then wait to see what happens in about three months."  
  
Buzz pouted his lips, then smiled and nodded. "Yeah... good advice. I'll use that." He stopped in front of the tunnel entrance, then blinked. "Why are you helping me when we'll probably end up fighting each other to mate?"  
  
Pete shook his head and grinned, "Buzz, Buzz, Buzz... I don't care whether I mate or not. What I _do_ care about is that someone face off against some of the jerk meerkats we have in this mob and keep them from having pups that act exactly like them. And you're a safe bet to be in the final three."  
  
"Oh... 'cuz you'll end up babysitting them, right?"  
  
Pete grinned again as he pushed Buzz down into the tunnel. "Correct. I don't want my hair to turn gray early." He jumped in after him.  
  
The sun had already begun to set. The meerkats returned to the tunnels and met in the central meeting tunnel. The females stood to one side, a few helping each other with the last minute grooming. Panya and Hasina set the flowers they picked on another side of the meeting tunnel.  
  
"This'll be great," Hasina said as she dusted her paws off.  
  
"Whatever you say," Panya rolled her eyes as she walked over to the group of females. Hasina grimaced at her friend's "cheerful" mood and then followed her over to the females.  
  
Uncle Max clapped his paws together, grabbing the females' attention. "OK, ladies, the sun has set and it's the night of the new moon. It's time for the first year males and females to get together. Everyone get in a straight line so the males can get a good look at you and vice versa."  
  
The females did as they were instructed. Uncle Max then put his fingers in his mouth, and whistled. The males marched in from one of the joining tunnels, then lined up in front of the females. Uncle Max stepped in between the lines and then signaled them to separate. They did as instructed. Aside, the males started talking.  
  
"I'll bet twenty beetles they're never gonna groom themselves like this again after tonight," Shomari said.  
  
"Safe bet," a meerkat said.  
  
"They're just trying to get our attention so we'll pick them... at least except Panya," a second meerkat said.  
  
"What about Panya?" Buzz asked, standing on his tiptoes to look over the heads of meerkats to look over at Panya.  
  
"Eh, she probably knows she'll be the last one picked out of the females, so she didn't bother making herself more presentable," Shomari said.   
  
Buzz blinked, then growled at Shomari, "It's guys like _you_ that discourage her into thinking she won't get picked."  
  
"Are you saying she _won't_ be the last one picked, Buzz?" Shomari cocked an eyebrow, looking Buzz over a bit.  
  
"It's... possible."  
  
Shomari grinned, "Well then... let's just hope you're right." Buzz let out one more growl before his Uncle Max came between them with half of a mango fruit.  
  
"OK, OK, that's enough. Everyone cover your eyes, reach inside, and pull out a pebble. There are different colors of pebbles in here, two of each color, and the meerkats who pick the same color will face each other. We'll repeat this process until the final six," Uncle Max explained.  
  
"OK, I get what you're saying, Uncle Max, but uh... how do we determine who faces off first?" Buzz asked as he covered his eyes and reached into the fruit to pick a pebble.  
  
"We picked the color order ahead of time. Whoever draws the white pebbles begin fighting first, followed by the black, then the gray, and so on." The rest of the males covered their eyes and picked their pebbles, and then they uncovered them to see who had which color. "OK, those who have white, step into the middle of the tunnel and begin the fight. The one who pins the other down moves on to the next round. And remember, I will _not_ tolerate biting or clawing. Any biting or clawing is instant disqualification. You're using your muscles to prove you're strong, not your claws and teeth. Are we clear?"  
  
"As crystal," Pete said as the other meerkats nodded.  
  
"Good. The two meerkats with the white pebbles, step into the center of the meeting tunnel for round one!"  
  
Buzz had a white pebble so he stepped into the center of the meeting tunnel while the other males moved away from it. The other with the white pebble stepped up to Buzz and nodded to him. Shomari had a red pebble, so he would have to wait a while for his turn. When the fighting began, the males started cheering their friends on. The females even caught onto the cheering. The match only last three minutes before Buzz pinned the other down. The meerkats cheered for him as Buzz helped the loser up. The loser dusted himself off and walked to the other side of the tunnel to wait for the end when he can take his pick of the females. This fighting for the top continued for a while. More meerkats were knocked out of the competition for the top three the further up the ladder they went. Finally, only six remained... and Buzz and Shomari were a part of those six.  
  
"All right, here's the last round. The winners are given first pick of the females and given the right to mate. No one wants to lose coming this far," Uncle Max said as he held a nutshell half up to the six males. "There are two white pebbles, two black pebbles, and two gray pebbles. This will determine who fights who and when. Go ahead and reach in." He held the nut over his head so the meerkats couldn't see inside. They reached up and in and pulled out their pebbles. Buzz pulled out a gray pebble... as did Shomari.   
  
"Well, looks like it comes down to us, Buzz-Boy," Shomari said as he turned his pebble over a few times.  
  
"Looks like," Buzz nodded with a grunt.  
  
"I just hope you realize... I'm not aiming to lose to you."  
  
"Ditto."  
  
Buzz and Shomari patiently waited for the two matches before them to end. But they knew it would not be soon, since these meerkats were strong enough to make it to the final six. But patience paid off as the final match was to begin. Buzz and Shomari were taking the last few moments to loosening up before the fight.   
  
Buzz stretched out, and a few cricks were heard. "_Ooo,_ that was good. OK, OK, you can do this... just use her as motivation. Just get past Shomari and you win." He stretched his arms over his head and moved his neck from side to side, releasing a few more cricks. He then rotated his shoulders and walked into the center of the tunnel.   
  
Shomari joined him. "You ready?"  
  
"You bet."  
  
"Good." Shomari growled and leapt onto Buzz, who shouted in surprise. He growled and started to fight. Several meerkats began cheering for them.  
  
"C'mon, Buzz!" Panya found herself cheering.  
  
The two meerkats had their teeth clenched tightly, growling, their paws interlocked and trying to overpower each other. Buzz swung his foot under Shomari's legs, causing him to fall over, bringing Buzz down with him. Buzz went to pin him, but then Shomari kicked Buzz in the stomach, causing Buzz to cough and reel backwards. He coughed a few more times as he rubbed his stomach, then yelped when Shomari jumped onto his back and tried to force him down. Buzz growled and elbowed Shomari in the stomach. Shomari coughed and released his grip. Shomari growled and jumped onto Buzz, resuming the match. Several minutes passed. Both meerkats stood away from each other, exchanging glares. Both were tired from fighting, but neither were ready to give up, not when he right to mate was a mere pin away. They ran towards each other and interlocked paws again. Buzz forced what energy he had left and forced Shomari down onto the floor. Shomari grunt as Buzz pinned him down and silently started counting to ten. Shomari tried to force Buzz off, but to little avail. Finally, Shomari turned his head over to Buzz's paw, which was holding Shomari's arm down. Shomari knew what would happen if he did what he had in mind, but he would rather be disqualified than admit defeat. He reached over, bared his teeth, and bit Buzz on the arm. Buzz yelped and reeled backwards, wrapping his other paw over the wound. Shomari panted and spat the hair and blood from his mouth as he pushed himself back to his feet.  
  
Uncle Max stepped up between the two before they could go at it again. "Save what strength you have left. You forfeit this match, Shomari," he said in a low voice.   
  
"I'd rather be disqualified than admit defeat to _this_ low-life," Shomari growled.   
  
"I was about to beat you," Buzz hissed.  
  
"Stupid rules anyway. If you expect to actually fight someone in a life or death struggle, you need to use your claws and teeth."  
  
"This wasn't a fight for life or death."  
  
"It is if you want to _give_ life."  
  
"Sorry, Shomari, but you lost. Now, you can still have a wife, but--" Uncle Max began, but was interrupted by Shomari.  
  
"There's no point to a wife if you can't even mate with her."  
  
"If you want a mate so strongly..." Uncle Max said as he stepped up to him. "Then leave this colony, find another, and try your luck there. I'm sure there are mobs out there that don't mind the tooth and claw right-to-mate-fights."  
  
Shomari sneered, "That's _exactly_ what I'll do." He turned and walked towards the exit, but stopped when he almost walked out. He turned to Buzz, who was getting his arm wrapped in a leaf. "We're not through, Buzz." He then turned back and walked out, disappearing from sight.   
  
Buzz let out a sigh of relief, and then was handed a flower by his Uncle Max. "Your fight was the longest. You get the first pick, Buzz."   
  
Buzz looked at the flower a moment, then smiled. He walked towards the females, who eagerly lined up in front of him. He looked at the females for a few moments, and then he frowned. "Where's Panya?"  
  
In her nest Panya was cleaning her nest up, making sure she would have a comfortable sleep. "Oh, what a night. I didn't even have time to watch the end of the fight. Oh well." She climbed into her nest and started to curl up into a ball. She closed her eyes when she heard someone approaching. She lifted her head up to see Buzz walked up to her next. "So... who won?"  
  
"I did... but by disqualification," Buzz nervously admitted, showing her the leaf bandage on his arm.   
  
"Shomari hurt you?"  
  
"Yeah, but I'll live. Good news, we won't have to worry about him anymore. He apparently got tired of our ways and left. We won't see him again."  
  
"Great... so... going to clean your nest for your mate to move into and you thought you'd say good night to me while you were here?" Panya asked as she rolled onto her back.  
  
"Pretty much."  
  
"Well, tell her I said good night then." Panya turned onto her side and away from Buzz.   
  
"How can I?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Well..." Buzz leaned over so she got a fair view of him. He then held the flower up to her. "How can you say good night to _yourself?_"  
  
Panya sat up to look at him. "What are you saying?"  
  
"I'm saying I want _you_ to be my mate, Panya."  
  
"Why? Oh, I know. You're picking me because of my 'pup-bearing' hips, right?"   
  
"Huh? No. I'm not the kind of guy to pick a girl on looks alone. Believe it or not, I look for personality and down-to-earthiness in a female. Like how you didn't groom yourself to attract a male."  
  
"I didn't think anyone would pick me, and I was planning to leave after your fight, but I got tired..."  
  
"Well, you were wrong." Buzz held the flower to her again. "So... will you be my mate?"  
  
Panya smiled and nodded, accepting the flower. "Yes. Should I start moving into your nest?"  
  
"Actually your nest looks better than mine... I think I'll start moving into yours."  
  
Panya smiled as Buzz started to walk away, "Good choice."  
  
Buzz stopped to confirm what she meant. "On moving into your nest, or picking you?"  
  
"Both." Buzz grinned and continued down the tunnel to collect his items from his nest.  
  
_To be continued..._


	4. Shomari's New Colony

Chapter 4:  
  
_Present...  
_  
"Awww..." Pumbaa said after Ma told him the story. Ma was peeling back some more tree bark to collect some more bugs for a snack. "Mr. Buzz picked you for his mate. That's so _beautiful._"  
  
"I wasn't expecting that from him." Ma smiled and handed Pumbaa a few grubs, to which he slurped right out of her paws. Ma twitched her nose and wiped the saliva off her paws. "It wasn't the appropriate mating time, so we had to wait a few months more before we had Timon."  
  
"Ahhh..." Pumbaa then blinked. "I just thought of something."  
  
"Really?" Ma mused.  
  
"I've never seen the meerkats here fight for the top three and earn the right to mate. I mean, Timon didn't fight to prove he was strong enough to be given the right to mate."  
  
"He fought a hyena. Besides his father, he was the only meerkat to fight a hyena alone. That alone proves he's strong enough. Besides, our colony stopped doing the competition a long time ago."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"We got with the times, I suppose. Too much disappointment and aggression from the losing males of the colony."  
  
Pumbaa rubbed the back of his neck. "Gee... so I guess Timon never got to fight, huh?"  
  
"He did, actually... but if I told it to you now, it would kind of throw off the current storyline."  
  
Pumbaa blinked a few times. "Storyline?"  
  
Ma put a paw on her hip. "Well, aren't you going to ask what happened to Shomari after he left, or when he returned to try to take control of our colony? You know, the storyline of the colony life before Timon was born."  
  
"Oh, sure! Sorry, I guess I didn't think of those questions yet."   
  
Ma chuckled, "You're forgiven." She sat down in front of Pumbaa and popped a grub into her mouth. "So, which do you want to hear about?"  
  
"What happened to Shomari after he left the colony? If you know how it happened, I mean. I guess you wouldn't be there..." Pumbaa nervously dug his hoof in the ground.  
  
"He told me what happened before his colony moved to the oasis. Shomari had become a rogue, having left our colony to find another and try to win the mating rights there..."  
  
_6 1/2 years ago...  
_  
Shomari had found a hollowed log to sleep in during the night. It was moldy and cracked, but beggars can't be choosers. He found it last night after he walked for an hour after leaving the colony. When the sun rose the next morning he went in search of a new meerkat colony. He stopped to stretch a moment, a bit sore from last night's fights. After that he continued on his way... until he saw the shadow of a bird looming overhead. He looked up and gasped, seeing it was in fact a Martial eagle. He dove into the nearest hole he could find, avoiding the swooping eagle. He slid down the tunnel and landed at the feet of a tall meerkat.   
  
"What are you doing here, rogue?" he asked.  
  
Shomari stood and dusted himself off. "Avoiding an eagle." He took a look around, seeing he had landed in this meerkat colony's central meeting tunnel, where all the meerkats gather when a predator attacks to make sure all were accounted for.  
  
"I don't harbor rogues. Get out. We have to prepare for tonight's first-year competition."  
  
"So, yours starts tonight, eh?"   
  
"We're not taking any applications for new members. We don't have any vacant nests for you to roost in."  
  
"It seems to me, chief," Shomari said as he took a brief look at his claws, "that since the competition starts tonight, you'll have plenty of nests vacant."  
  
"As long as I'm here we're not open to rogues. So leave now or die." The meerkat yelped as Shomari leapt onto him and attacked him. The meerkats standing by gasped at the sudden attack between their companion and this rogue. A few females looked away as their companion let out a scream, and then went silent.   
  
Shomari dusted his paws off and approached the group. "All right then... it seems to me that there's a vacancy opened now. So why wait for tonight, eh?"  
  
"You just..." a female couldn't bring herself to say the words.   
  
Shomari stepped up to her and looked her over. "I need a place to stay. He wasn't going to let me stay. So, I had to resort to... desperate measures. Was he your leader?"  
  
"He was..." she nodded.  
  
"That alone should prove I'm strong. So, why should I go through the competition a second time? And why dirty my claws and teeth on you _weak_ mob members to prove I'm strong?"  
  
"Now hold on!" a male meerkat growled as he stepped up to Shomari. "What do you mean by _that?_"  
  
"If your leader was this easy to take down," Shomari said in a low voice, "then doesn't that imply this mob's members are weaker? Maybe that's why there are less members than in my former mob." Shomari took a moment to count heads. "Only twenty here including myself." He took a brief glance at the tunnel. "Yet you manage to build some nice tunnels."  
  
"We pride ourselves on construction, not brute strength," the female said.  
  
"Well, that's going to change. I'm going to watch how the males of this colony fight, and then determine the best course of training you myself."  
  
"Why do we need training?" a second male asked.   
  
"Because I am not yet finished with my former colony... not by a long shot." He took a second look at the female that spoke out to him. "Your name?"  
  
"Dalila."  
  
"Congratulations, Dalila. You've been picked to be my mate."  
  
"What?"  
  
"You can't just--!" the first male said, then stopped when Shomari bared his teeth and growled.   
  
"Don't question my strength, pup. I made it to the final six last night, so don't be foolish and try to challenge me. You fight for the final two and then we'll see."  
  
"We'll see, indeed... what's your name anyway?"  
  
"Shomari. Remember it." He then turned to Dalila, his face suddenly changing from harsh with a flash of a smile. "So, lead me to this nest of yours and then we'll await the night's events."  
  
Dalila shyly nodded and started walking away. When they left, the meerkats in the colony bowed their heads in remembrance of their leader. After a few moments, they lifted their heads up. Two members walked over to remove the body.  
  
"We can't fight him?" a male asked.  
  
"You saw what he did to our leader. We wouldn't stand a chance," a male replied.  
  
"Then what'll we do?"  
  
"Hope he's a good leader and stay on his good side. We'll see what he has in mind of training and then see why he left his old colony."  
  
_To be continued..._


	5. Intruders

Yes, the faithful readers! Sorry about the real long delay... trouble deciding how to get the battle going and I was getting ready to go to Anime Central 2004 in Chicago May 14-16. That was a long weekend, I think my brain's fried. That's what I get for cosplaying as Chii from _Chobits..._ wearing a blonde wig for that matter. Anyway, sorry if this chapter isn't very exciting... I miss my muse. ::Sniffle.:: Read on!  
  
Oh yeah, before I forget... I know Shomari acted really evil in the last chapter, but that's animal nature for animals killing the leaders to take over. Just trying to keep things realistic.  
  
Chapter 5:  
  
_Present..._  
  
"Wow..." Pumbaa stared at Ma, a bit amazed. "I had no idea meerkats could be so _aggressive!_ Or is it just Shomari who kills the leader so he could take over?"  
  
"If you want to be get into a new colony when the leader won't let you, you have to resort to desperate measures. It's the laws of nature."  
  
"I thought that was the food chain."  
  
"No, the food chain involves animals eating other animals. Shomari needed an army and he went with the first one he saw, even if they were weaker than ours. You know the expression, 'beggars can't be choosers.'"  
  
"So, what happened?"  
  
"We forgot about Shomari... we had other things on our minds. At least, until over four months later..."  
  
_6 years ago...  
_  
The sun had begun to set. The meerkats were collecting their dinners before hitting the sack. Today Pete was on sentry duty, and he would stay until the sun was completely set, or when every meerkat had gone inside. And he was only waiting on Buzz to come back from the nearby bird nests to collect some bird eggs. He watched Buzz walk by him rolling two bird eggs in front of him.  
  
"Now you can make a scorpion omelet," Pete said.  
  
Buzz stopped in front of the sentry rock Pete was on and looked up at him. "Can't without a scorpion." He suddenly grinned. "You wouldn't happen to see one out, would you?"  
  
Pete took a quick look around and shook his head. "Nope." He looked back down at Buzz. "So, how's Panya?"  
  
"Hungry and moody." Buzz rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't know if I'm ready for this, Pete. It's been just about eleven weeks, so the pups should be here any day."  
  
Pete sat down on the rock to get a closer view of Buzz. "Ahh... the pressures of a first-time father. If you listened to what your own father taught you, you should do fine, Buzz-Boy."  
  
"Yeah..." Buzz started rolling the eggs back, then stopped. He looked back at Pete with a concerned expression. "But what if they don't like me?" He growled when Pete suddenly fell onto his back laughing. Buzz climbed onto the rock, grabbed Pete, and put him into a headlock. "You're not being very supportive!"  
  
"_Ack!_" Pete growled and then pulled himself out of the headlock. He let out a few more chuckles. "Sorry, Buzz. I couldn't help but laugh. I mean, I've never heard of a pup not liking his father."  
  
"First time for everything." Buzz jumped back down to the ground.   
  
Pete looked down at Buzz as he started to walk away with the eggs. "You worry too much."  
  
Buzz stopped a moment, grinned, and turned back to Pete. "That sounds familiar." Pete blinked a moment, and then grinned. Buzz turned back around and resumed rolling the eggs to the tunnel. He started to push the egg down the tunnel when he suddenly noticed some movement up ahead. He took a moment to look, then shook his head, thinking it was a mirage.   
  
He then stood to attention when Pete yelled, "Buzz, rogue meerkat!" Buzz absentmindedly pushed the egg down the tunnel just as his Uncle Max was climbing out of the tunnel to see what was going on. The egg broke when it made contact with Max's head, spreading all over Max.   
  
"_Buzz!_"  
  
"Huh?" Buzz looked and nervously smiled. "Sorry, Uncle Max."   
  
"What's this about a rogue meerkat?"  
  
"Never mind right now. Look, do me a favor." He pushed the other egg to Uncle Max. "Take this back to Panya and stay with her." Uncle Max nodded and dropped back into the tunnel with the egg. Buzz turned his attention back to the approaching rogue meerkat. He cracked his knuckles and walked towards the meerkat. When the meerkat's face came into focus, Buzz stopped in his tracks and gasped. He squinted his eyes, in near disbelief. "Shomari?"  
  
Shomari stopped in front of him, then took a brief look at the area. "_Love_ what you've done with the place, Buzz," he said dryly, since the only change in the area was that it was near winter when he left and now it was almost spring.  
  
Buzz furrowed his brow and folded his arms in front of his chest. "I almost thought I'd have the pleasure of never seeing you again. You've spoiled my day."  
  
Shomari cracked a grin. "Just like old times, eh?" He frowned when Pete stepped up next to Buzz. "Peter."  
  
"Shomari. Still alive, I see," Pete said.  
  
"_Duh._ He's in bad tastes, so no one wants to eat him," Buzz joked, to which Pete chuckled.   
  
"Oh, you still have a sense of humor! Good. You'll need it," Shomari growled.  
  
"We've run out of nests, so if you're trying to come back into the mob through sweet talk--"  
  
"_Sweet talk,_ Buzz? No, what I had in mind... is _far_ from sweet talk."  
  
Pete pulled Buzz to the side and whispered to him, "He reeks of other meerkats. He must've found another mob."  
  
Buzz looked back at Shomari, then turned back to Pete and scoffed. "A mob that would take _him_ in?" Buzz whispered back.  
  
"If he killed the leader that's the only reason he was let in. Laws of nature, you know."  
  
"Relax, Pete. I took him on before and almost beat him." Buzz rubbed the arm Shomari bit the night he left. He then punched his fist into his paw. "This time I won't stop until one of us stops breathing."  
  
"That's not what I'm getting at, Buzz! If after four or five months he just shows up out of the blue with the smell of other meerkats on him, that usually means something."  
  
"Like what?" Pete looked back at Shomari, then gulped. "Pete?" Buzz turned his attention where Pete was looking, and then notice the group of meerkats stopping behind him.  
  
"Like kicking us out of our tunnels," Pete finally answered Buzz.  
  
Shomari heard him. "_Kicking_ you out? That's not quite what I had in mind, Pete. No, I think _submission_ over your mob will be much more satisfying."  
  
Buzz growled and stepped back over to Shomari. "I'd rather _die_ than submit to you."  
  
"That can be arranged." With that, Shomari leapt onto Buzz and began to fight with him.   
  
Pete ran back towards the tunnels and yelled into it, "Intruders! Meerkat mob attacking!" Shomari's mob took Pete's yelling into the tunnels as a signal and rushed towards him, where meerkats began pouring out. The two mobs wasted no time to begin the battle.   
  
_Present...  
_  
"Pumbaa?" Ma stopped telling the story when Pumbaa covered his ears. "Pumbaa?" She walked over to him and pulled a hoof down from his ear. "What's the matter? I haven't gotten to anything gory yet."  
  
"**_Gory?!_**" Pumbaa rolled his eyes into the back of his head and fainted.   
  
Ma grimaced and took hold of his back leg, and twisted it. Pumbaa yelped and sat back up. With Pumbaa revived Ma released her grip. "Pumbaa, you said you wanted to know about the day Shomari's mob tried to take over our own. I can't tell it if you're unconscious or have your ears covered."  
  
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Ma. I've never been good with war stories," Pumbaa sheepishly admitted. "Isn't there something else you could tell about that day?"  
  
"Depends... would you faint if I told you about the pain I went through that same night when Timon was born?"  
  
Pumbaa gulped and then he nervously smiled. "I think I might prefer the _g-g-g-gore._"  
  
Ma chuckled. "Unfortunately I wasn't told much about those details... so you may have to settle with the fact that our mob won and move onto Timon's birth."  
  
"Oh, Panya, that's such a _boring_ ending to the story," a voice said. Pumbaa and Ma turned to see Shomari walk up to them.  
  
"Mr. Shomari, what are you doing here?" Pumbaa asked.  
  
"I've been listening to the two of you talking about that old fight..."  
  
"Invading our privacy?" Ma arched an eyebrow.  
  
"I just wanted to make sure you weren't saying bad things about me," Shomari said as he eyed Ma a bit with a grin.   
  
"Who, _me?_" Ma innocently asked. "Stick around if you'd like. I'm done telling the story."  
  
"Oh, don't stop telling it on my account."  
  
"She wasn't told the exact details of the fight. Just that Buzz won, you left, and Timon was born," Pumbaa said. Shomari softly growled, turning away from the two. Pumbaa gulped, "Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. Shomari! I just really wanted to know how it all turned out! I mean, Mrs. Ma said that Mr. Buzz said the two of you would fight until one of you were dead."  
  
Shomari half-smirked. "Well, if you want to know why, I could tell you."  
  
"Are you sure, Shomari?" Ma asked.   
  
"Hey, he wants to know how it happened, I'll tell him."  
  
"But, uh... could you just skip to the end of the fight? I don't handle well with g-g-gore," Pumbaa stuttered.  
  
"I'm bad at describing action shots anyway."  
  
_6 years ago...  
_  
The night was dark when the heated battle began to cool down. Buzz pinned Shomari down to the ground, his legs holding Shomari's arms down, his right paw at his neck. The two of them glared at each other and panted.   
  
Shomari then swallowed with a bit of difficulty, with Buzz's paw at his neck. "Go ahead then. You know you want to." Buzz's lip curled up into a growl, and then his grip tightened. Shomari coughed, gritting his teeth and digging his claws into the sand. He felt darkness starting to settle in as the oxygen from his lungs escaped. But then he suddenly felt the grip on his neck loosen. He inhaled deeply and opened his eyes to see Buzz looking away from him and standing. He sat up and put a paw to his throat, coughing. "What are you doing? Why don't you finish me?"  
  
"You're not worth it," Buzz said in a low voice.  
  
Shomari growled, "You're afraid to take a life, aren't you?"  
  
"Are you saying you _want_ to die?" Shomari was silent. "The worst thing I can do to you isn't killing you, because you don't want to live with the shame of defeat."   
  
"Who would?"  
  
Buzz dusted himself off and turned away from him. "Get you and your mob out of my sight. You're not welcomed here anymore."  
  
Shomari stood and dusted himself off. He stared at Buzz, and then he called to his colony, "We're done here!" He turned back to Buzz. "I won't forget this. I'll hold this grudge against you for the rest of my life. Just _pray_ if I ever come across your pups--"  
  
Buzz growled, bared his teeth, and grabbed the front of his fur. "Threaten the lives of my pups and I'll _tear your throat out!_"  
  
Shomari looked Buzz over a moment, and then he smirked as he pried Buzz's paws off his chest. "You're so sensitive." Shomari then turned and walked away, his colony walking behind him, defeated. They walked a good distance from the tunnels when they finally met up with the females. Shomari sighed and approached Dalila, who was revealed to be heavy with pup.   
  
"You don't have the look of triumph on your face, Shomari," Dalila softly said.  
  
"They beat us, Dalila. I'm sorry. The prey around here was good, the tunnels already completed..."  
  
"There's still time to find another area for our new tunnels before the pups come. If we have to dig, we'll dig. Simple as that."  
  
Shomari sighed and nodded. He turned to the group. "It's dark. The hunters are out. Let's start digging."  
  
_..._  
  
Buzz watched the remaining intruders walk away with heavy breath. He exhaled when the last one was out of sight. He ran a paw through his hair and plopped down onto the sand. He put a paw over his eyes and panted, physically and mentally tired from the battle. He even thought of going to sleep right there until--  
  
"Buzz!"  
  
Buzz sighed deeply at the sound of his uncle's voice. He turned to see Uncle Max run over to him. "What is it, Uncle Max? Can't it wait 'til morning?"  
  
"It's important. It's Panya."  
  
That grabbed Buzz's attention. "What's wrong?"  
  
"Well, unless Panya understands you missing the birth of your first litter, you've got nothing to worry about."  
  
"**_WHAT?!_**"  
  
_To be continued..._


	6. Defender and Respect

OK! Here's Chapter 6 with the birth of Timon! Originally this chapter was longer, but near the middle it kinda strayed off the main focus at the beginning of the chapter, so I'm gonna post the second half as a whole new chapter. Makes this short story seem a little longer.   
  
I surprised myself this week while looking through names from Shakespeare plays concerning my OC Pete. I noticed Shakespeare used the name Peter in several of his plays. I kept the Shakespeare thread going without realizing it! Anyway, since the name Timon is taken from Shakespeare, I thought I'd carry the trend with his brother/sister. Anyway, enough of me talking Shakespeare... read on!  
  
Chapter 6:  
  
Buzz dropped down into the tunnel and slid down to the bottom. He dusted himself off as he ran towards his nest. He ran past several nests and only missed his own by one or two. He walked backwards awkwardly and then poked his head inside.  
  
"Panya?"  
  
Panya had her back facing him. "Where have you been? Do you realize how late it is?"  
  
"Didn't Uncle Max fill you in? Shomari appeared and--" Buzz sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "I had to keep him from taking over the colony with his new one."  
  
"I see..."  
  
"So... am I too late?" Buzz nervously asked.  
  
"No, but you're cutting it awful close."  
  
"Well, so long as I got here in time--" His eyes suddenly widened and he started to pace. "You mean they're _**coming?!**_ Boil the family, call some water!" He shook his head to clear it. "I mean, call the family and boil some water!"  
  
"Buzz, calm down."  
  
Buzz slapped himself in the face, then suddenly became calm. "OK... OK, I'm calming down... yes, I'm the guru of calmness." He then suddenly fainted.  
  
_Present...  
_  
"Well, now I see how much Timon takes after Mr. Buzz," Pumbaa said with a grin.  
  
"Don't leave us hanging, Panya. Tell us how it went," Shomari said, leaning against the tree.  
  
"Well, excuse me for pausing, but I'm really having a hard time thinking of how to describe the pain I went through," Ma said as she tapped her chin.  
  
Pumbaa gulped, "Maybe it'd be easier if you just skip to the birth and not describe the pain?"  
  
"Oh, all right."  
  
"Spoil-sport," Shomari said, looking at his claws.  
  
_6 years ago..._  
  
Buzz was getting some emotional support by his uncle Max and friend Pete. Uncle Max was holding him up while Pete was fanning him with a leaf.  
  
"You're doing fine, Buzz. It's almost over," Pete said.  
  
"Just try not to faint anymore. You've fainted about 3 or 4 times tonight," Uncle Max said.  
  
Buzz looked up at him with an annoyed expression. "I'm a first-time father. Can you blame me? Besides, it's way past the time I normally go to sleep."  
  
A female meerkat approached them. "Congratulations, Buzz. You've got a wife and sons waiting for you."  
  
Buzz stood up on his own, a bit shocked. "_Sons?_ I have _sons?_"  
  
"Two sons. You can see them now."  
  
"Yeah, go on, _'Dad'_," Pete said as he pushed on Buzz's back to get him moving.  
  
"Huh... 'Dad,'" Buzz mused to himself. He then smiled and rushed off towards his nest. He quietly poked his head into his nest and swallowed hard. "Panya?"  
  
"Come in, Buzz. Come say hello," Panya softly said.   
  
Buzz gulped and approached her. Panya was laying on her side and next to her were two small meerkat pups, with little hair and eyes closed. They were curled up next to their mother. "Are those _ours?_"  
  
"I know, they don't look like us yet. I give it two weeks and maybe they'll start to resemble one of us," Panya softly chuckled. "But make no mistake, they're ours."  
  
Buzz knelt down to meet with the two pups with an amazed look. "Wow... so, I guess we won't be naming either of them after our mothers."  
  
"No, I guess not. Fathers?"  
  
Buzz took a moment to look at the pups again, then shook his head. "Nah." He put a paw to his chin and let out a long, "Hmmmmmmmmm... Well, do you want their names to start with the same sound?"  
  
"Sure, why not? Here." Panya picked one up, who let out a few whimpers. He seemed to have settled down when she placed him into Buzz's arms.  
  
"Panya, what are you--? Why am I--?"  
  
"Shut up and tell me what you see when you look at him, Buzz. What... name or thing comes to mind when you look at him? What do you see him as a year from now?"  
  
Buzz listened to what she was saying, then took a look at the pup, eying him carefully. "Hmm... maybe he'll be like his old dad..."  
  
"You mean, like how you defended this colony against Shomari? That would be nice."  
  
"Defended..." Buzz held the pup out a moment, thinking. He then grinned. "Titus. It means 'defender.'"  
  
Panya nodded, "Titus. Good one." She picked up the other pup and looked at him. "Hmm, what do I see when I look at this one?" She cocked her head and laid the pup down on her stomach. "He looks like a Tim to me."  
  
"Just _Tim?_" Buzz asked with a cocked brow.  
  
"Timmy?"  
  
Buzz let out a laugh, then he sat down next to her to look at the pup. "I like it, but it just doesn't sound right."  
  
Panya looked at the pup, a few moments before she finally said, "How about... Timon?"  
  
"Timon... yeah, I like that. I think it means 'respect.' Timmy can be his nickname." Buzz set the pup he was holding, Titus, down by Panya. "Timon and Titus... I just hope I can be a good father to them."  
  
"I know you will be." Panya lifted Titus up and scooted over to make room for Buzz. Buzz stretched and yawned, and then he laid down next to her, finally settling down to sleep after the long fight.  
  
_Present...  
_  
"Awww..." Pumbaa said after Ma finished telling the story. Then Pumbaa blinked. "You mean Timon has a _brother?_"  
  
Ma lowered her eyes. "He... _had_ a brother."  
  
"What do you mean? What happened to Titus?"  
  
"No one really knows. When they were three weeks old we brought them outside of the tunnels for some fresh air. I guess Titus wondered off. We looked until the sun set, but we couldn't find him. He was probably picked up by an eagle or a snake," Ma said as she shook her head sadly.  
  
"That's so _sad!_" Pumbaa sniffled. "Timon must've been so upset when his brother disappeared."  
  
"No, actually. He was so young when Titus disappeared. He never asked us about him or what happened to him when he learned how to speak. So I think he doesn't remember having a brother. He didn't even ask why he was an only child."  
  
"Gee, that's sad, not remembering your own brother."  
  
"Sadder when you remember your father's death," Shomari said in a low voice.  
  
"Hmph. I wouldn't be surprised if you were actually _glad_ when you heard the news that Buzz had died," Ma said.  
  
"_Hey!_ I know we had some disputes when we were younger, but--"  
  
"You tried to kill him, Shomari."  
  
"Even so..."  
  
"Say... when you heard about Buzz's death, why didn't you come back to the colony and try to take over?" Pumbaa asked. "I mean, it would've been easier to take over without him."  
  
"I've got my own story for that..."  
  
_To be continued..._


	7. Not So Heartless

_Kari:_ Lessee... yeah, this'll probably due... Pumbaa, could you go get Timon and Zuri? I need them for this chapter.  
_Pumbaa:_ OK! ::trots off-screen... comes back a few minutes later with Timon and Zuri.::  
_Timon:_ ::walks in with Zuri.:: Oh, are _we_ finally in this story?  
_Zuri:_ Sure took you long enough.  
_Kari:_ I know, I know... but Pumbaa, Ma, and Shomari needed some attention... besides, you liked hearing more about your father, right, Timon?  
_Timon:_ Yeah, well... lemme guess, this is probably the last chapter, right?  
_Kari:_ Unless I put another epilogue on it, yeah.  
_Timon and Zuri:_ **_WHAT?!_**  
_Timon:_ But the last two had at _least_ 10 chapters! This is only Chapter 7!  
_Kari:_ Oh, chill. I said from the beginning this fic probably wasn't gonna be as long. Live with it. I'll probably find something to inspire me... maybe something that'll get more reviews than this one did.   
_Timon:_ Yeah, I guess... ::sits with Pumbaa and Zuri::  
_Kari:_ ::aside to the readers:: Geesh, you give the guy the spotlight for two of your fics and he thinks he wrote them himself. Anyway... start reading!  
  
Chapter 7:  
  
_5 1/2 years ago...  
_  
A hornbill landed right next to a meerkat who was standing high on a rock. The meerkat turned to him. "You're not here to attack, are you?" the meerkat asked.  
  
"Hardly. You would not believe the story I have just been told. Being a meerkat I thought I might share it."  
  
"Unless it's _about_ a meerkat--"  
  
"It is."  
  
_..._  
  
The meerkat rushed down into the tunnel and yelled so he could be heard, "Everyone to the central meeting tunnel! I've been told incredible news!" When everyone was gathered together, the excited meerkat told the tale. "You wouldn't believe it! A meerkat actually fought a hyena back!"  
  
"A _hyena?!_"  
  
"That can't be!"  
  
"And he's still alive?!"  
  
"Well... no. Hyenas hunt in packs after all. He went out fighting though," the meerkat said.   
  
"So, who was he?" Dalila asked.  
  
"You won't believe this either. But he's now known as... Fearless Buzz."  
  
"Fearless Buzz?"  
  
"Wasn't he that meerkat that Shomari--?"  
  
Shomari cleared his throat. "I'm right here, you know."  
  
"Right, sorry."  
  
"So, he's pushing up daisies now, eh?"  
  
"Yup."  
  
"Hey, without Buzz, we can take over their colony now!" a meerkat said.  
  
"Hey, yeah!"  
  
"Just give the order, Shomari, and we'll get going."  
  
Shomari took a brief look around, then his eyes settled on Dalila and two meerkat pups that were standing by her, a male and female. His expression softened slightly. "We're doing just fine here. There's no need try to take over their colony."  
  
"What?"  
  
"You heard me. Meerkats will be singing the praises of Fearless Buzz, and maybe even think of standing up to a hyena, training hard to be strong enough, and getting themselves killed trying. I don't want that to happen to anyone in this mob, especially my own pups."   
  
"But we're going to be training hard anyway to win the right to mate, aren't we, Dad?" the male pup, Sudi, asked.  
  
"You're right..." Shomari put a paw to his chin, and then he slammed a fist into his paw. "I've decided. From now on, we will no longer hold the competition for mating rights."  
  
"What?! But we need to reproduce!"  
  
"We will continue to reproduce, but only the current alpha couples and their pups will be given the right. The alpha parents will pick suitors for their pups."  
  
"Arranged marriages?" Dalila asked.  
  
"But Papa, that's not romantic," the female pup, Zuri, said.   
  
"Now, now, Zuri. You're not going to marry until you're at least 5 years old," Shomari said with a wave of his paw.   
  
"Shomari, you can't keep her a pup forever. Pups are full-grown when they're a year old," Dalila said with a roll of her eyes.  
  
"Who says I can't? When I see that my pups are of the appropriate age, they'll marry. By that time, Sudi and Zuri will grow to love their fiancés. Now then, back to your tunnels!"   
  
"Yessir!" The meerkats disappeared into various halls to resume their digging.   
  
Shomari stood there in the empty tunnel for a moment, then he walked to the wall and leaned forward against it, sighing. "You _idiot,_ Buzz, facing a hyena..." He put a paw over his eyes and let out a shuddering sigh. "What were you trying to prove anyway? You were already strong enough. You always were..." He sniffled and then lifted his head up, wiping his eyes with the back of his arm. "I won't attack your colony again, Buzz. You let me live so I could care for my mate and pups. I see now that's the real reason you didn't kill me. My debt is repaid." He shook his head and walked out of the tunnel.  
  
_Present..._  
  
"So... that's why you never attacked us again?" Ma asked Shomari with a surprised expression.  
  
"Yes... for letting me live after the battle."  
  
"Wow... and I thought you always hated him," Pumbaa said.  
  
"I was angry at Buzz for overpowering me at the competition. I didn't want to believe someone could be stronger than me. That's why I bit him and forfeit the fight." Shomari sighed and shook his head. "I was angry at Buzz instead of being angry at myself for not admitting defeat."  
  
Ma's expression softened. "Shomari..."  
  
"I was young, stubborn, and angry back then. I wasn't thinking clearly when I thought of finding an army and forcing his colony to submission. But after five months of training, he still beat me. Even though I was using Dalila as motivation, he still beat me. Though he felt a sort of hatred towards me, he let me live, so I could take care of Dalila."  
  
"Why's that? No one else could take care of her?" Pumbaa asked.  
  
"She was about 10 weeks along when we had that fight. Look, I know Buzz and I had a bad history, but I wasn't _completely_ heartless. Of course, I was still bitter against the survivors for defeating us."  
  
"Wow..."  
  
"I could tell that when we met again years later when Timon snuck off to the Pride Lands to meet Zuri." Ma looked to where she saw some movement at the corner of her eye. "Well, that's all in the past now. Let's just try to look to the future, OK?"  
  
"Agreed," Shomari nodded.  
  
"Hey, what are you guys doing?" Timon asked as he and Zuri walked up to the group.   
  
"Uh... nothing," Pumbaa innocently answered.  
  
"Pumbaa just wanted to hear some more stories. That's all, Timmy," Ma said.  
  
"So how was the babysitting?" Shomari asked.  
  
"_Nerve_-wracking," Timon said as he dragged a paw over his face.  
  
"Sudi's pups are not _that_ bad, Timon," Zuri said as she poked Timon in the chest.  
  
"Easy for you to say. He's _your_ brother. You've known his pups longer."  
  
"You look so tired, Timon. I'll tell you what, I'll carry the next litter, OK?" Zuri said flatly, patting Timon on the back.  
  
"Very funny."  
  
Shomari shook his head and walked over to them. "You look tired, Zuri. Let me take you to your nest."  
  
"Thanks, Papa." Zuri allowed her father to lead her away.   
  
When they left, Timon let out a long, "_Oy..._"  
  
"What's wrong, Timon?" Pumbaa asked.  
  
Timon sat down on a root and rested his face in his paws. "I dunno... my nerves are starting to get to me. I see how big Zuri's getting and keep thinking I'm actually gonna be a father." He ran a paw through his hair. "I don't know if I can do this."  
  
"Uh, Pumbaa, do you think you could leave us alone for a while?" Ma asked.  
  
"Why?" Pumbaa asked, blinking.  
  
"Uh..."  
  
"If it helps to get rid of you for a while, Jina's back. Last place I saw her was the mud pits," Timon said, nothing looking up.  
  
"Jina's back? Mud pits? _Yay!_" With that the warthog ran off, leaving mother and son alone.  
  
Ma sat down next to Timon and started to play with his hair. "Sweetie, every father-to-be is a nervous wreck before their first litter comes."  
  
"Well, most fathers-to-be had their father teach them how to raise pups."  
  
Ma scooted closer to him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "Just remember... your father died so you could live."  
  
Timon sighed and reached a paw back to put it over his mother's. "I know... I guess he was expecting Uncle Max to teach me... or at least instinct. That's what he was always telling me. 'Instinct is gonna kick in.'"  
  
"Instinct _will_ kick in, Timon. I know it. You'll be a good father."  
  
Timon nodded a moment, and then he looked at his mother with a concerned expression. "But what if they don't like me?"  
  
Ma softly chuckled. "They will."  
  
"But--"  
  
"Timon. They'll like you. If you treat them good and love them, they'll love you back."  
  
"Thanks, Ma." Timon cleared his throat and ruffled his hair up the way it normally was, just in case his mother fixed it up weird. "So... what have you been telling Pumbaa?"  
  
"He wanted to hear some stories about me and your father, the competition we used to hold, when Shomari's colony tried to take over... you know, that kind of thing."  
  
"Could you tell it to me sometime?"  
  
"I've got time now. Wanna hear it?"   
  
"Sure."  
  
"Come here." She pulled Timon closer to him, then looked towards the setting sun. "This story takes place in autumn, about five months before you were born..." 


	8. Epilogue

OK, so I decided to put an epilogue on... at least now this fic has 8 chapters. Now then... while you guys wait for me to think up a good plot you can occupy yourselves with the other _TLK_ fics on this site... and of course don't forget my other _TLK_ fics, _Son of Fearless Buzz_ and _Someone Like You _(_I put an epilogue on that one a not too long ago, but some might not know it_). Hopefully _SoFB_ can reach the 100-review mark. _Someone Like You_ reached 100 and beyond! Yay! Read on and see y'all soon!  
  
Epilogue:  
  
_Two weeks later..._  
  
Timon had his arms folded behind his back as he nervously paced in front of a large log. He had a twig in his mouth to chew on while he was waiting for some news. He kept shaking his head and muttering to himself as his family and friends watched him handle the pressure.   
  
"Oy... I don't know if I can handle this..." Timon muttered.  
  
Jina, a brown warthog and Pumbaa's mate, blinked as Pumbaa stood and joined Timon in the pacing, muttering, and shaking of the head. "Pumbaa, why are _you_ pacing?" she asked.  
  
"I don't want Timon to feel lonely doing it by himself," Pumbaa answered. He stopped for a moment and smiled, "Besides, it'll be good practice when it's _our_ turn." He resumed.  
  
"Timon doesn't need help pacing... he needs help getting out of the deep trail he's created," Uncle Max said, pointing at the 6-inch deep walking path Timon had created for himself.   
  
Timon stopped pacing, folded his arms in front of his chest, and tapped his toe. The tapping increased with each passing second. The twig he was chewing on broke when he clenched his teeth. He spat out the remaining twig piece out of his mouth and finally let out a frustrated groan as he pulled on his ears. "**_I can't take it anymore! It's driving me crazy!_**"  
  
"Dear, it's only been five minutes since Zuri started having abdominal pains," Ma said.   
  
"_Only **five minutes?!!**_" Timon released his ears, which snapped back into place. He climbed out of the hole he created and rushed over to his mother. "It _**couldn't have**_ been five minutes! You mean I made a 6-inch deep path _**in under five minutes?!**_"  
  
"Timon, dear, try to calm down. Zuri needs the emotional support right now," Dalila, who was sitting by Timon's mother, said.  
  
"Do you think I should be there with her, Dalila?" Timon asked, taking Dalila's paws into his own.  
  
"No, I think she'd only tell you to come back out here and continue making a path."  
  
"Yeah, you're right..." Timon turned to his mother. "How did Dad handle this when I was coming?"  
  
"Pretty much the same way you're handling it now, except he fainted more," Uncle Max butted in.  
  
"Really?" Timon asked, blinking.  
  
"From what I was told, yes," Ma nodded.  
  
Shomari folded his arms in front of his chest and chuckled, "Poor old Buzz. He was tired after fighting me that night. That was probably the reason why."  
  
"First-time father, too," Ma said, nodding. Ma suddenly smiled and took Timon's paws into her own. "Oh, Timon, you were the most _beautiful_ baby in the whole world. I remember that night so well."  
  
"You had a face like a hyena's--" Uncle Max began, then was knocked off the log by Ma's foot.  
  
"_Hey!_" Timon growled.  
  
"Don't listen to him, Timon." Ma ran a paw over Timon's hair, and in a way it began to help Timon calm down. "I still can't believe it's been nearly 6 years. And now my baby's having babies of his own..." She sniffled and put a paw to her eye. "_Oh..._"  
  
"Aww, Ma..."  
  
"I'm alright, Timmy. Really." She sobbed softly and released Timon's paws.   
  
"Oh... I was fine until you started crying, Panya..." Dalila suddenly started sobbing, and then the two mothers hugged each other and cried happily. Jina watched the two, then she padded over to the two of them and started crying.   
  
Pumbaa heard this and stopped pacing. He looked over at her. "Jina, why are _you_ crying?"  
  
Jina sniffled, "Because Mrs. Panya and Mrs. Dalila are..." She sobbed a bit more.  
  
Pumbaa blinked and looked at Shomari, who merely shrugged. "Dalila was like this when Sudi had his pups," Shomari said.  
  
"Well, can you blame me? My first grandchildren are on the way," Ma sniffled.  
  
Timon stepped back up to his mother and mother-in-law. "Ma, we don't even know how many pups we're going to get. We could get as many as five or just one. You know, like when you had me?"  
  
Pumbaa blinked and looked at Ma. _She didn't tell him about Titus..._   
  
"Yes, I guess you're right, Timmy," Ma sniffled and rubbed her eye. She exhaled, "I would've loved to have given you a few little brothers or sisters, but by the time I was ready to have another litter..."  
  
"By the time you were ready to have another litter...?" Pumbaa tried to get her to finish. Timon then elbowed him in the side. "_Ow!_ What?"  
  
Timon jumped up and grabbed Pumbaa's ear, and then pulled him down to his level. "Pumbaa, my father was killed by those hyenas before they could have another litter." Timon released Pumbaa's ear and put a paw over his heart. "That's why I'm an only child."  
  
"_Ooo._ Sorry." Pumbaa shot a look at Ma, who had a questionable expression on her face. After a moment she realized what the look was for, and shrugged helplessly.  
  
A few hours had passed. By this time Timon's path had been worn down into a 16-inch deep hole. Pumbaa's path had been worn down to a mere 2 or 3 inches. Ma busied herself with Dalila's hair while Dalila, bored stiff, peeled some of the bark off of the log they were sitting on. Shomari and Uncle Max had their arms and legs crossed, their feet tapping in the air almost in unison. They took a look at each other, then shared a brief growl.   
  
"Copy-kat," Shomari mumbled under his breath. Jina's attention wavered between Timon and Pumbaa pacing, the four meerkats on the log, and to a nearby brush where their friend Pete had gone with Zuri some hours ago. She let out a tired sigh and laid down.  
  
Pumbaa stopped pacing and looked over at her. "Are you OK, Jina?"  
  
"Yeah, but watching you worry makes me tired," Jina admitted.  
  
Pumbaa nervously smiled as he sat down, "Sorry." He looked down into Timon's deep path. "Timon, aren't you getting tired by now?"  
  
Timon climbed out of it and sat down on the ground, panting, and then looked up at Pumbaa. "No, just my feet are." He motioned to the steam rising up from his feet.  
  
"_Ooo._"  
  
Timon put a paw over his eyes as he fell back onto the ground. "I don't know how much longer I can worry without pulling my hair out."  
  
That grabbed Ma's attention. "Now, don't you be doing something rash like that, Timon. You need that hair to look good."  
  
Timon lifted the paw from his eyes and glanced over at her. "No, Ma, _you_ need this hair to groom me with."  
  
Jina shook her head, then looked back to the brush up ahead, and then her tail shot up in the air. "Hey, I think I see Pete!"  
  
On that note, Timon sat up straight and turned towards the brush where Pete was emerging. The meerkats on the log also turned to see him. Timon jumped to his feet and ran over to Pete before he had a chance to say his name. "_Well?_"  
  
Pete blinked, a bit shocked at Timon's reaction time. "Switch to decaf, would ya, pup?"  
  
Timon ignored that comment. "How's Zuri? She's OK, isn't she?"  
  
"Yeah. She's tired, but uh... she's lost all that extra weight."  
  
"You mean...?"  
  
"Yup. Congratulations, Timon, you're a father."  
  
Timon stood there for a moment stunned, his mouth hung open. Before he could react his mother came up from behind and gave him a big hug. "Oh, Timmy, I'm finally a grandmother!"  
  
"Ma... choking, not breathing..." Timon managed to choke out. When he was released he dropped down to the ground, inhaling deeply.  
  
"So, what does Timon have?" Pumbaa asked as he helped Timon back to his feet.  
  
"Two pups, a boy and a girl," Pete said.  
  
Timon gripped onto Pumbaa's tusk as he leaned forward towards Pete. "A _son_ and a _daughter?_ I have a_ son_ and a _daughter?_"  
  
"Correct."  
  
Pumbaa suddenly picked Timon up and hugged him. "Oh, Timon, congratulations! You've got one of each! Now I can't _wait_ 'til it's my turn!"  
  
Timon tried pushing away from Pumbaa to breathe. "That's great, Pumbaa, but could you put me down? My vision's starting to fade."  
  
"Sorry." He put Timon down, who dusted himself off when he was released.   
  
Timon stretched for a moment, releasing a few cricks. He then smiled and ran towards the brush where Pete had emerged. Shomari and Uncle Max helped Dalila and Ma down from the log. Jina got up and stretched as she walked over by Pumbaa. They, with Pete, followed Timon back to a nest where Zuri was lying in. Timon hesitated on moving forward, but got nudged forward by Pumbaa. Timon gave Pumbaa a bit of a look before he moved forward. He approached the nest, paused a moment to gulp before resuming again. He was a few inches from the nest to see only Zuri, but nothing else. He stood on his tiptoes to peek inside. He took the extra steps and looked inside. He noticed Zuri looking at him and he nervously smiled. He looked at one of the pups lying next to her and picked it up.  
  
"... He doesn't look a thing like me," Timon finally said.  
  
"That's because that's the girl," Zuri said in a flat tone.  
  
Timon nervously laughed, "Really?" He took at look at the pup again and smiled. "Yeah, now that I think about it, she looks more like you."  
  
"That pup doesn't have much fur... are you saying my fur's thinning?"  
  
"_Ooo,_ she's still moody..." Timon said under his breath.  
  
"What was_ that?_"  
  
"I said don't put words in my mouth." He took a look at the other pup lying next to Zuri, then back at the pup he was holding. "Hmm... OK, we'll name _that_ one Timon Junior and we'll name _this_ one Timona Junior."  
  
"Timon, I thought we agreed we wouldn't name any of the pups after ourselves," Zuri said with an arched brow.   
  
"You never said that to _me._"  
  
Zuri blinked, and then put a paw to her chin. "Hmm, I must've been thinking it then."   
  
"All right, fine. We'll name this one Zuri Junior."  
  
"No, Timon," Zuri said as she shook her head. "We had a few names picked out and I think we should use them. I'll let you pick out one out."  
  
"Spoil-sport," Timon said in a kidding tone. He exhaled and looked back down at the pup in his arms. "All right then..." He set her down next to Zuri and grabbed a beetle that was crawling nearby. He broke it in half, dunk his thumb inside to collect some bug juice. He wiped it over the female pup's forehead and said, "I name thee... Shani." He licked the remaining juice off his thumb and smacked his lips. "Mmm."  
  
"Timon, what was_ that?_" Zuri asked with a confused look on her face.  
  
"Cream-filled, I do believe," Timon said as he munched on half of the beetle.  
  
"It's a ceremonial crown, Zuri," Pumbaa spoke up.  
  
"Yeah, that magic blue-faced monkey does it for the newborn lions... of course I omitted the sand because I'm not a licensed shaman."  
  
"_Right..._" Zuri picked up the other pup and looked at him for a moment. She rolled her eyes with a grin and held him up to Timon. "Any juice left for a second ceremonial crown, Great Timon?"  
  
Timon took some juice out of the remaining half of the beetle and wiped it over the male pup's forehead. "I name thee... uh... Zuri, I named her, so you're suppose to name him." He bent over to Zuri who whispered it in his ear. He stood back up in front of the pup and then licked the juice off his thumb. "... Kito." He popped the other half of the beetle into his mouth.  
  
"Kito and Shani... good names. Congratulations, you two," Pete said as he approached the two.  
  
"Thanks..." Timon said as he dusted his paws off. He looked at his pups--_his _pups--and smiled. "I'm a father... oy." He fainted, but was caught by Pumbaa's tusk.  
  
"Timon?"  
  
Ma shook her head and smiled, "Poor thing. He's had a long day of worrying." 


End file.
